Motherwell, Scotland, Apr 3, 2019 / 16:43 pm
The funeral Mass is an important moment of prayer and faith after the death of a loved one - but it is not the appropriate time for eulogies, which are better suited for the funeral reception, said Bishop Joseph Toal of Motherwell, Scotland.
"The funeral liturgy in the Catholic Church brings great consolation and hope to those who have lost a loved one because we proclaim the Resurrection of the Lord and our hope of eternal life," Toal said in a letter to priests and deacons.
"Its strength is in the faith of the Church and the words of the liturgy that express that faith. We need to accept therefore that it is what the Church offers us that counts most of all, rather than our own words."
His April 3 letter on the celebration of funeral liturgies aimed to help clergy and lay faithful in arranging funerals.